EXCLUSIVE Art Shoppe Condos Video

One of the most overused cliches in the real estate industry is the term iconic building. Seems if you read through just about any condo brochure, go to any website, you’ll see the term iconic building. When every new building is iconic, then we might be misusing this term, right? Well, let’s check out how the dictionary actually defines iconic. The dictionary says iconic means widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence, so widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence.

Defining “iconic”

To be an iconic building, then you really have to be different, and you’ve got to be great. Well, I’m very pleased to tell you that there is a project launching right now that will be a truly iconic address. Introducing Art Shoppe Lofts and Condos by Freed Developments and CD Capital, 34 stories tall, 652 suites, this beautiful building represents something truly special that doesn’t come along very often. This building is going to be iconic on three levels. It’s going to have an iconic location, iconic design, and iconic amenities.

Iconic Location

Let’s first look at the iconic location of Art Shoppe. The building is going to be located just one block south of Yonge and Eglinton, just steps from the crosshairs of the Yonge subway line and the coming soon, under construction, 8-billion-dollar Crosstown LRT. Yonge and Eglinton is undergoing unprecedented boom over the next decade, and Art Shoppe will be right at the center of this transformation.

The building will rise right here on the sight of the famous Toronto landmark, of course the Art Shoppe furniture store. This location features a near-perfect walk score and the transit score as well, so owning a car here is really not necessary. Further to that, the building is located right at the southernmost tip of the Yonge and Eglinton high-rise designated area. Because of this, most of the suites will offer incredible views to the east and west, and of course to the south.

Iconic Design

All right. Now, let’s look at the iconic design of Art Shoppe. The dream team is all here on this project. It starts with the developer of Peter Freed, who’s established himself over the last 12 years or so as Toronto’s most design-conscious developer. His buildings typically command huge premiums over surrounding buildings, as people appreciate the value of high design, and they’ve shown, time and time again, the willingness to pay more for it.

Peter Clews is the architect of Art Shoppe, and he’s Toronto’s very own internationally respected starchitect. He’s designed many buildings in Toronto, including the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville. Finally, we have the legend himself, Karl Lagerfeld, and he’s the head designer for both Chanel and Fendi, and he’s chosen Art Shoppe as his first residential project in North America. He’s designing the lobby, and it’s really going to be something special.

Art Shoppe will also feature high-end finishes and features in the suites themselves. Most suites will come with kitchen islands, for example, as standard. More than half the building will feature soaring, 10-foot, smooth-finish ceilings in an era where most developers now have been going down to 8-foot ceilings, in an effort to cut costs. Many suites will also have large, over-sized balconies that the Freed buildings are very well-known for. Now let’s look at the iconic amenities that the building will offer.

Iconic Amenities

Starting with this infinity-edge pool on the 18th floor overlooking the downtown skyline to the south, this pool will be one of the largest and longest infinity-edge pools in North America. Here’s another view of the pool and rooftop area there on the 18th floor. Also, included in that level there will be barbecues, party rooms, and outdoor lounge areas. Here’s the 6th-floor architectural gardens, designed by Janet Rosenberg Design Studio. The indoor amenity spaces will feature double-height ceilings, a double fitness center, double fitness center with two cardio rooms, two weight rooms, indoor and outdoor yoga areas, and even a kids club.

Most buildings’ amenities stop at whatever they have indoors or on the rooftop, but at Art Shoppe, it’ll also feature a mind-boggling 80,000 square feet of retail space, including a 55,000 square-foot grocery store on the second floor, along with signature restaurants and retail that Freed buildings are known for attracting on the ground level. Plus, Art Shoppe will have its very own, brand new public park on the east side of the building, approximately half an acre public park is going to be part of the project as well. Art Shoppe’s iconic location, plus their iconic design, and their iconic amenities, all add up to making an iconic investment opportunity.

Yonge Street Real Estate

The fact is that real estate on Yonge Street is the most coveted in the city. Yonge Street addresses command a premium. Here are some condo projects on Yonge Street that have launched recently. E Condos is selling their remaining units at approximately 750 dollars per square foot. 2221 Yonge, just down the street as well, are just releasing some new floors there, and they’re priced around the same level. 1 Bloor, of course the famous 1 Bloor, is priced around 1,000 dollars per square foot. 1 Yorkville is maybe just a little bit lower than that. YC Condos, which launched a year ago, they launched at around 730 dollars per square foot. The penthouses are only remaining there at a 1,000 dollars per square foot and up.

Yet, prices at Art Shoppe are starting from just 600 dollars per square foot, offering an incredible value for such a premium product. Art Shoppe condos will be a landmark building for the area, much in the same way that Freed’s Thompson Hotel building sets the standard in King West. The Thompson gets much higher resale and lease rates than any other building in the neighborhood, even including Freed’s own buildings that are there as well. Same developer, same area, much different rents and resale rates.

If you think that all condos are created equal, and that at the end of the day, they’re all going to be priced the same, you are incorrect. That is not true, and seasoned condo investors know this, and they take advantage of this fact. The Art Shoppe’s location, design, and amenities will drive premium resale and rental prices, and investors who have the vision to invest early are going to reap the greatest rewards. Now, despite being a premium product and a premium location, the prices at Art Shoppe are surprisingly affordable. Check out these attractive starting price points here for studios, and one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms, and so on. Very attractive pricing for the premium product that it is.

Get the Investor Package

Okay, that concludes our presentation. I hope you found this helpful. To get the investor package on Art Shoppe Lofts and Condos, simply keep watching this video and fill out the form that comes on the screen, or you can also e-mail me, andrew@truecondos.com or call me, text me, 416-371-2333, and I’ll be happy to get that package over to you. Thank you very much for your attention, and you have been watching TrueCondos.com.

Andrew la Fleur is Toronto's leading expert on condo investing. Since 2007 Andrew has been sharing his expertise and his insider connections to help hundreds of clients every year to make money by investing in the Toronto condo market. He is the founder of TrueCondos.com, contributor to New Condo Guide magazine, and has been featured in The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, and the Wall Street Journal.
Contact Andrew directly: andrew@truecondos.com | (416) 371-2333